National market update

Existing-Home Sales Rise in June as Home Prices Surpass July 2006 Peak

WASHINGTON (July 22, 2015) — Existing-home sales increased in June to their highest pace in over eight years, while the cumulative effect of rising demand and limited supply helped push the national median sales price to an all-time high, according to the National Association of Realtors®. All major regions experienced sales gains in June and have now risen above year-over-year levels for six consecutive months.Read more

3 Reasons Why It’s a Great Time for Sellers

Rising home prices, demand from home buyers, and less competition is making 2015 a stellar year to sell for many U.S. home owners across the country, says Daren Blomquist, RealtyTrac’s vice president.Read more

National housing indicators

Existing home sales (July) 5.49 millions units*

Existing home median price (July) $236,400

Housing Starts (July) 1.174 millions units*

New home sales (July) 0.546 millions units*

National economic indicators

Home ownership

The homeownership rate in the second quarter 2015 was 63.4 percent, down 1.3 (+/- 0.4) percentage points from the second quarter 2014 rate of 64.7 percent. The homeownership rates in the Northeast, Midwest, South and West were lower than the rates in the second quarter 2014.

New home sales

Sales of new single-family houses in June 2015 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 482,000. This is 6.8 percent (+/- 12.5%)* below the revised May 2015 estimate of 517,000.

Source: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Regional market updates

View market statistics for your region.

Click on the links below to view data from two different industry sources. Choose information on local prices & state sales from any of 150 metropolitan housing markets prepared by the National Association of REALTORS® or information on sales & price activity from local area markets in 25 states prepared by Clarus MarketMetrics.

Local Prices & State Sales

Consumer tips & hot properties

5 Unexpected Lessons When Buying a Home (From People Who’ve Done It Before) You never forget your first time… buying a house. Here’s what took us by surprise in the whole complicated process. Read more

Dirty Secrets: 9 Things Your Landscape Designer Wishes You Knew For an outdoor oasis that is so you, make sure you know these 9 secrets (hint: designers don’t just do flowers). Read more

How to Find a Home Inspector Who Will Change Your Life. Really! A New York transplant who bought a home in Southern California tells the story of searching for—and finding—the best home inspector of all time. Here’s how you can find your own home-inspecting hero. Read more

This Secret-Room Fad Is Kind of a Mystery Doors in disguise and hidden rooms are in demand, and even designers aren’t sure why. Read more

Happy June! Here is my housing trends newsletter with May statistics. This newsletter includes national and local housing information that I hope you find useful. Please feel free to contact me with questions 858.376.7117 or janai@bentleysd.com.

National Market Update

Existing-Home Sales Lose Momentum in April

WASHINGTON (May 21, 2015) — Despite properties typically selling faster than at any time since July 2013, existing–home sales slowed in April but remained above an annual sales pace of five million for the second straight month, according to the National Association of Realtors®. All major regions except for the Midwest experienced sales declines in April. Read more

Owners Place High Value on Good Yards

Don’t underestimate the importance of a beautiful yard to home owners and their neighbors. 84 percent of adults say that the quality of a home’s landscape and yard would affect their decision on whether to purchase a home or not, according to a new survey of more than 2,000 adults conducted by the National Association of Landscape Professionals. Read more

National Housing Indicators

Existing home sales (May) 5.04 millions units*

Existing home median price (May) $219,400

Housing Starts (May) 11.35 millions units*

New home sales (May) 4.81 millions units*

National Economic Indicators

Home ownership

The homeownership rate in the first quarter 2015 was 63.7 percent, down 1.1 (+/- 0.4) percentage points from the first quarter 2014 rate of 64.8 percent. The homeownership rates in the Northeast, South and West were lower than the rates in the first quarter 2014, while the rate in the Midwest was not statistically different from the rate a year ago.

New home sales

Sales of new single-family houses in March 2015 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 481,000. This is 11.4 percent (+/- 18.6%)* below the revised February 2015 estimate of 543,000.

Regional Market Updates

Click on the links below to information on local prices & state sales from any of 150 metropolitan housing markets prepared by the National Association of REALTORS®.

The year is flying by! Here is my April housing trends newsletter. This newsletter includes national and local housing information that I hope you find useful. Please feel free to contact me with questions.

National Market Update

WASHINGTON (April 22, 2015)—Existing-home sales jumped in March to their highest annual rate in 18 months, while unsold inventory showed needed improvement, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Led by the Midwest, all major regions experienced strong sales gains in March and are above their year-over-year sales pace. Read more

Wealthy buyers typically look to leisure-rich hotspots such as Hawaii and Florida for second homes, which they often buy into once they retire. But that’s changing, according to 2015 Luxury Market Report from the Coldwell Banker Previews International program. Read more

National Economic Indicators

Sales of new single-family houses in March 2015 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 481,000. This is 11.4 percent (+/- 18.6%)* below the revised February 2015 estimate of 543,000.

Source: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Regional Market Updates

Market statistics for your region

Choose information on local prices & state sales from any of 150 metropolitan housing markets prepared by the National Association of REALTORS® or information on sales & price activity from local area markets in 25 states.

Local Prices & State Sales

No, This Is Not a Housing Bubble Home prices are soaring across the nation, but this isn’t 2008 all over again. Read more

Open Houses Are Kinda Like First Dates: Here’s How to Know If They’re The One House hunting is as emotional, exhausting, and all-consuming as dating, and it all begins at the open house. Here’s how to fall in love like a pro. Read more

Solar Panels Are Cheaper Than Ever, So Why Aren’t You Getting Them? Now that you can lease a solar power system for no money down, there’s no reason to keep paying conventional prices. Read more

Relocating to an Unfamiliar Area? Here’s How to Get Your Bearings If you’re moving across country–or even across town–you’ll need to do some serious recon. Read more

A Brief History of Opening Our Homes to Total Strangers (aka the Open House) How did weekend open houses become a standard in American real estate? Was there ever a time when they didn’t exist? Whose idea was it anyway? Read more

Welcome to my March housing trends newsletter! This newsletter includes national and local housing information that I hope you find useful. Whether you’re in the market for a home, thinking about selling your home, or just interested in homeowner issues in general, I think you’ll find some great resources here! Contact me anytime with questions.

National market update

WASHINGTON (March 23, 2015) – Existing-home sales increased modestly in February, but constrained inventory levels pushed price growth to its fastest pace in a year, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Read more

The spring home-buying boom is underway, and this year buyers in some markets will face an increased amount of competition due to low housing inventory. In fact, the most recent existing-home sales report from the National Association of REALTORS® cautions that “Insufficient supply appears to be hampering prospective buyers in several areas of the country and is hiking prices.” Read more

National economic indicators

The homeownership rate in the fourth quarter 2014 was 64.0 percent, down 1.2 (+/- 0.4) percentage points from the fourth quarter 2013 rate of 65.2 percent. The homeownership rates in the Northeast, Midwest and South were lower than the rates in the fourth quarter 2013, while the rate in the West was not statistically different from the rate a year ago.

New home sales

Sales of new single-family houses in February 2015 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 539,000. This is 7.8 percent (+/- 15.2%)* above the revised January 2015 estimate of 500,000.

Source: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

How much is your home worth? Get a real-time report on the value of your home. Start now

Regional market updates

Click on the links below to view data from two different industry sources. Choose information on local prices & state sales from any of 150 metropolitan housing markets prepared by the National Association of REALTORS® or information on sales & price activity from local area markets in 25 states.

Here is the latest housing trends newsletter! It is designed with national and local housing information that I hope you find useful. Whether you’re in the market for a home, thinking about selling your home, or just interested in homeowner issues in general, I think you’ll find some great resources here. Click here to view the full newsletter.

National market update

WASHINGTON (February 23, 2015) – Existing-home sales declined in January to their lowest rate in nine months, but the pace was higher than a year ago for the fourth straight month, according to the National Association of Realtors®. All major regions experienced declines in January, with the Northeast and West seeing the largest. Read more

WASHINGTON (February 11, 2015) – The majority of metropolitan areas experienced steady but slightly stronger price growth in the fourth quarter of 2014, behind a decline in housing supply and an uptick in demand fueled by lower interest rates and a stronger job market, according to the latest quarterly report by the National Association of Realtors®. Read more

National economic indicators

Home ownership

The homeownership rate in the fourth quarter 2014 was 64.0 percent, down 1.2 (+/- 0.4) percentage points from the fourth quarter 2013 rate of 65.2 percent. The homeownership rates in the Northeast, Midwest and South were lower than the rates in the fourth quarter 2013, while the rate in the West was not statistically different from the rate a year ago.

New home sales

Sales of new single-family houses in January 2015 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 481,000. This is 0.2 percent (+/- 22.2%)* below the revised December 2014 estimate of 482,000.

Source: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Regional market updates

Click on the links below to view data from two different industry sources. Choose information on local prices & state sales from any of 150 metropolitan housing markets prepared by the National Association of REALTORS® or information on sales & price activity from local area markets in 25 states.

Welcome to my blog! For my first post, I’d like to share my housing tends newsletter which is specially designed with national and local housing information that I hope you find useful. Whether you’re in the market for a home, thinking about selling your home, or just interested in homeowner issues in general, I think you’ll find some great resources here.

If you are interested in determining the value of your home, click here for a free evaluation report

Sound decisions can only be made with accurate and reliable information, and I am happy to be a trusted resource for you. I look forward to answering any questions you may have and to the opportunity to be your real estate agent in the future.

National Market Update

WASHINGTON (January 23, 2015) – Despite low inventory conditions, existing-home sales bounced back in December and climbed above an annual pace of 5 million sales for the sixth time in seven months, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Median home prices for 2014 rose to their highest level since 2007, but total sales fell 3.1 percent from 2013. Read more

Ready for a Jolt in the Housing Market? The strengthening of the economy will drive the housing market forward this year and make up for last year’s “unspectacular” housing activity, according to Fannie Mae’s Economic & Strategic Research Group’s report, released Thursday. Stronger wages for many Americans likely will lead to a higher rate of household formation in 2015, Fannie researchers note.

Home ownership The homeownership rate in the third quarter 2014 was 64.4 percent, down 0.9 (+/- 0.4) percentage points from the third quarter 2013 rate of 65.3 percent. The homeownership rates in the Northeast, Midwest and South were lower than the rates in the third quarter 2013, while the rate in the West was not statistically different from the rate a year ago.

New home sales Sales of new single-family houses in November 2014 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 438,000. This is 1.6 percent (+/- 12.3%)* below the revised October 2014 estimate of 445,000.

Source: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Regional Market Updates

View market statistics for your region. Click on the links below to view data from two different industry sources. Choose information on local prices & state sales from any of 150 metropolitan housing markets prepared by the National Association of REALTORS® or information on sales & price activity from local area markets in 25 states prepared by Clarus MarketMetrics.